20 Questions
Describe your skiing background:
I grew up cross-country touring with my parents on Molas Pass (North of Durango, CO). In high school, I alpine skied and snowboarded and when I turned 18, I started teleskiing. I stayed on the teles until 3 years ago, when I rediscovered alpine skiing and touring and now I do both.

What was your big breakthrough or defining moment in skiing?
Probably when I learned how to hop turn in cruddy windblown sastrugi or when I started keeping my shoulders down the fall line.

Describe a skiing experience when things got out of hand:
Let's just say some good luck led to me not dying in an avalanche that my boyfriend got tumbled through unscathed.

What are you up to when you’re not skiing?
Yoga, riding my bike, skateboarding (badly), surfing (worse), swimming, climbing, reading, sewing, cooking, working, hiking...

Any training advice or suggestions?
Yoga, diving and anything to strengthen the core...

Who or what inspires you?
I love the Swedish Posse films; they are rad and display a pure love for freeriding. The Falling Forward Films guys are the best too. They always have fun and are amazing skiers. The fellow Coloradoans too and their new film is awesome. I love just riding with my friends, they inspire me and push me and we laugh a lot.

How do you see skiing evolving in the next five years?
There are people who are growing up with access to terrain parks who can also freeride, and we are already seeing them do amazing things. It will just get better.

Do you think the best skiers today are better than the best skiers twenty years ago?
In some ways, but the equipment now is so much better that the really solid skiers can push themselves more, and the average person is much better because the gear really allows for more mistakes, but I say put the riders in a freeride comp on some old skis and see who can ride them, that would be fun to watch, or do.

How does fear affect your skiing?
I try to be a smart and intuitive skier. Some of the close calls that I have had with slides, or just injuries have given me the butterflies for a while after, but they go away. You just have to get back on the horse. Yoga has really taught me to be in the moment when I am skiing something for the first time, filming or for photos and reacting.

Do you have any vices that you would like to share?
Coffee?

Ever been caught speeding or ever been arrested?
Speeding, yes, arrested, no.

Any tattoos or body piercings?
No tattoos, a couple of piercings, nothing out of the ordinary.

Any near death experiences?
Yes, a few incidents where if my timing were a second different, my life would be changed or nonexistent. I have used up a few of my nine lives.

Are you a fan of skiing history? Explain?
I love Dolores LaChappelle's book, Deep Powder Snow, about being in Alta and skiing pow on wooden skis. I love the history of ski areas and the traditions in small towns, the effect on the community and families involved. It is just such a positive thing for so many people.

What are your future plans or goals in skiing?
Of course I would like to travel more, go to South America, New Zealand and go back to Europe as much as possible. I am happy exploring the Cascades and BC right now and just becoming stronger every year and expanding my world. I would like to do more filming because it’s fun and challenging. I’m planning on doing some freeride comps soon, to see if I like them or not. I have some little adventures, locally, that I am planning as well. I also love being a positive role model for younger girls and boys too. They need to know girls can rip and we need more female rippers, as any person will probably agree.